ISRAEL: Prime Minister Netanyahu sees extent of forest fires from military helicopter

Record ID: 401073

  • Title: ISRAEL: Prime Minister Netanyahu sees extent of forest fires from military helicopter
  • Date: 4th December 2010
  • Summary: MOUNT CARMEL, ISRAEL (DECEMBER 3, 2010) (REUTERS) RESCUE PLANES AT RAMAT DAVID AIR FORCE BASE AMBULANCES HAIFA, ISRAEL (DECEMBER 3, 2010) (REUTERS) VIEW OF POLICE SPOKESMAN MICKEY ROSENFELD LOOKING OVER HILLS THAT ARE ON FIRE IN HAIFA AREA (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISRAELI POLICE SPOKESMAN MICKEY ROSENFELD SAYING: "Israeli police are continuing the emergency operation h
  • Embargoed: 19th December 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Israel
  • Country: Israel
  • Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes,Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAE3YME3RJK3F4V1QKFX1SBW3A6
  • Story Text: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held an emergency cabinet meeting on Friday (December 3), as the Mount Carmel forest fires continued to rage. After the meeting, he was taken by military helicopter to see the extent of the devastation for himself.
    Since the fires began yesterday, 15,000 residents around the area have been evacuated to safety. The death toll has now been confirmed at 42 and is likely to increase.
    "Israeli police are continuing the emergency operation here in Mount Carmel. 15,000 people have been evacuated from the nearby area from their homes in order to keep them in a safe area. I can also confirm that the death toll has risen to 42 as of this morning this is the latest count we have in our emergency services team we are continuing to work together in order to take control of the situation," Israeli Police Spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld said to Reuters.
    Firefighting aircraft from four countries flew in Israel to help battle the huge forest fire close to the northern city of Haifa.
    Badly needed assistance was also due to arrive from several other states during the day as Israel struggled to contain the largest blaze in its history that torched woodland, destroyed homes and revealed major shortcomings in the emergency services.
    Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu convened an emergency cabinet meeting in Tel Aviv ahead of his trip to Haifa where he will be following up on rescue efforts.
    Netanyahu said on a visit to the scene that Israel had suffered a disaster on a scale we have never seen before.
    The fires are still not under control and the strong winds are making things worse, the chief of Israel's fire service, Shimon Romah, told Israel Radio.
    Fire crews from across Israel were mobilised on Thursday to combat the fire, which was believed to have started in an illegal garbage dump. But they did not have the resources, especially water tanker planes, needed to tame the inferno.
    The sky glowed orange through the night near the major Mediterranean port of Haifa and as day broke, television pictures showed the fire was still raging across a broad front.
    International help arrived from Bulgaria, Jordan, Greece and Britain. Cypriot, Turkish and Russian planes were also en route, while flame retardant materials were being flown in from France, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said.
    At least 41 people died on Thursday, mainly prison service officer trainees, when their bus was engulfed in flames as they headed towards a prison to help evacuate 500 inmates to safety, emergency services said.
    More than 12,000 people were evacuated from towns and villages as the fires threatened hillside homes.
    "Israeli police are continuing the emergency operation here in Mount Carmel 15000 people have been evacuated from the nearby area from their homes in order to keep them in a safe area. I can also confirm that the death toll has risen to 42 as of this morning this is the latest count we have in our emergency services team we are continuing to work together in order to take control of the situation," police spokesman, Micky Rosenfeld, said.
    U.S. President Barack Obama sent his condolences and said the United States would provide help.
    While Europe freezes in an early winter, Israel has had unseasonably hot weather in its driest November in 60 years.
    The fire started around midday on Thursday, and Israeli media was scathing about the inability of local emergency services to deal with such a disaster.
    Newspapers said experts had warned for years that fire crews lacked the resources needed to combat major conflagrations, which could have dire consequences in war.
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